UPDATE 7/12: In a last-minute decision, the FCC approved a rule change that critics claim will force consumers to pay $225 for their complaints to be heard.

The FCC was initially expected to drop amendments to how it handles consumer complaints, but on Thursday, the agency voted 3-1 to adopt the original proposal.

"This is bonkers. No one should be asked to pay $225 for this agency to do its job," said Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, the lone dissenting vote.

Rosenworcel noted that each month the agency receives 25,000 to 30,000 informal complaints, which can be filed for free. But language in the new rules will reduce the FCC's role to merely forwarding the complaints to the affected carriers.

"Consumers who remain unsatisfied will be asked to pay a $225 fee to file a formal complaint just to have the FCC take an interest," she said in a statement to PCMag.

However, the FCC maintains that nothing has changed to how it will handle informal complaints. The agency's chief of staff tweeted that whole controversy amounts to "fake news."

"There is no change, no proposal or no rule to 'eliminate the agency's traditional and important role of helping consumers in the informal complaint process,'" an FCC spokesman told PCMag.

"These updates will simplify and expedite the process for handling formal complaints that will both serve the public better and make more efficient use of staff resources," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wrote in prepared remarks.

Original story: As the rules currently stand, filing a consumer complaint with the FCC sees them assess and handle that complaint on your behalf. If it's a valid complaint, an FCC consumer representative may contact you for further information then serve your complaint and require a written response within 30 days from the company. There is no charge, but that could be about to change.

As Engadget reports, tomorrow the FCC is set to look at its complaint-handling procedure and possibly alter it slightly. It could mean the rules change and your consumer complaint is only forwarded to the relevant provider who is then left to decide what to do without further intervention. The part where the FCC assesses your complaint, asks for more info, and demands a written response would be gone. Unless, of course, you pay.

If the rule change happens, getting the FCC to go through the same steps as it does today will require filing a formal complaint, which costs $225. That's according to the Democrats, and in particular House Energy & Commerce Committee Reps. Frank Pallone of New Jersey and Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, who sent a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai expressing their concerns.

As CNET reports, the FCC refutes the claims being made, stating "The item would not change the Commission's handling of informal complaints ... The Democrats' letter is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the draft order."

If Pallone and Doyle are correct, the rule change could certainly save the FCC a lot of money, but it would also raise new money due to a natural increase in expensive formal complaints by consumers who feel let down enough by a company to spend $225 getting the FCC involved.

Now we just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow. The Democratic lawmakers are specifically concerned about this language in the proposed rule change:

Related

"In all other cases, the Commission will notify the complainant that if the complainant is not satisfied by the carrier's response, or if the carrier has failed to submit a response by the due date, the complainant may file a formal complaint in accordance with § 1.721 of this part."

"In all other cases, the Commission will contact the complainant regarding its review and disposition of the matters raised. If the complainant is not satisfied by the carrier's response and the Commission's disposition, it may file a formal complaint in accordance with § 1.721 of this part."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with more details about the rule change.

About the Author

Matthew is PCMag's UK-based editor and news reporter. Prior to joining the team, he spent 14 years writing and editing content on our sister site Geek.com and has covered most areas of technology, but is especially passionate about games tech. Alongside PCMag, he's a freelance video game designer. Matthew holds a BSc degree in Computer Science from... See Full Bio

Michael has been a PCMag reporter since October 2017. He previously covered tech news in China from 2010 to 2015, before moving to San Francisco to write about cybersecurity. His Twitter is @Michael_Kan. Signal number: 415 696 5528

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